FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The learning curve in Major League Soccer continues for Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.
The Italian stars played their first three games for Toronto FC, including two on artificial turf, and travelled more than 8,000 kilometres this week as the team went from BMO Field to Vancouver and back before flying to Boston.
Goalkeeper Alex Bono called it a “trial by fire” for the two new designated players.
“I’d like to tell them they’ve seen some of the toughest conditions, with the flights and the fields,” added Bono, who marked his 150th appearance in all competitions from Toronto. “I want to tell them it gets better. So just stick with it.”
Toronto returns home after picking up a rare point on the road Saturday with a 0-0 draw against the New England Revolution. TFC had a shot at the win but was foiled when Djordje Petrovic stopped Insigne from the penalty spot in the 81st minute.
The six-foot-four Serbian goalkeeper dove to his right, getting one hand on the ball.
“A great save,” said Bono. “He was at full stretch. He read it right. Lorenzo put it on target and he made a save. What are you going to do?”
The result made for a 1-1-1 week for TFC following a 5-3 penalty shootout loss Tuesday in Vancouver to the Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship final and a 4-0 league romp over visiting Charlotte FC last Saturday that saw Insigne and Bernardeschi turn heads in their MLS debut.
Bernardeschi had a goal and an assist while Insigne had an assist in the Charlotte win.
Toronto (6-12-5) remains winless away from home in league play this season (0-7-4), with just four points out of a possible 33. On a positive note, Saturday marked a second straight clean sheet for Toronto which ended a string of 29 league games without a shutout when it blanked Charlotte.
New England (6-7-9) saw its winless run grow to six (0-2-4) while extending its unbeaten streak at home to eight games (3-0-5). The Revs last went six or more consecutive matches (0-6-3) without a victory from July to September 2018 under former coach Brad Friedel.
Referee Ismir Pekmic pointed to the penalty spot in the 75th minute after Toronto substitute Deandre Kerr went down as Matt Polster challenged for the ball just inside the box. Insigne waited to take the kick as Canadian video assistant referee Carol Anne Chenard checked the play.
Pekmic was summoned to the pitch-side monitor but did not change his mind, much to New England’s displeasure.
Newly signed Revs…